


More Similar Than Different

by chicalatina449



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baker Jean Kirstein, Childhood Friends, Coming of Age, Fluff and Angst, Growing Up Together, Marie is the best girl, One Shot, Other, Politician Marco Bott, Soulmates, Trans Character, Twin flame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicalatina449/pseuds/chicalatina449
Summary: As kids, Jeanne seemed to have all the privileges but things changed as Marco and Jeanne grew up. Marco becomes accepted and loved for who he is and his heritage while Jeanne has to face the reality that not everyone is as accepting as the Bodts.  Years later Marco has a chance encounter with the love of his life but she doesn't recognize him. (Soulmate/twin flame tag only cuz we know JM are meant to be!)
Relationships: Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein
Kudos: 4





	More Similar Than Different

Young Marco Bodt lived with his parents and his younger sister Marie in a lovely house that is a 15 minute drive from either one of his grandparents. He loved his school and he had plenty of friends on his street, not to mention lots of cousins to play with. Marco was like all other little boys, except he had an obsessed for reading. He was what others would call a bit of a nerd, yet Marco doesn’t mind and his family is always happy to provide him with any book he wants. Marco is an excellent student and everyone loves him. He loves helping at home and does what as he is told. He especially loves helping out and taking care of his little sister. Everything in Marco’s life was just perfect, just the way it should be. That was until he was told that they were going to move.

At first Marco wasn’t too worried, his family tends to move around due to his father’s job, so had become accustomed to being the new kid at different schools and making new friends. However, just because he was used to this didn’t mean he liked it. On the contrary Marco hated having been the new kid each time. He didn’t mind the new places and a few times some of the other children were a little rough at first; but at least he always had the love and support from all of his family members. 

Marco couldn’t understand at first why his grandparents were coming to visit more frequently in these last few weeks. They were just moving a bit further north, it wasn’t like they weren’t going to see each other again. There were a lot of things Marco didn’t understand, like why his mom and grandma kept hugging and crying. Marie was clinging to him more and more, clearly shaken off by their family’s strange behaviour. 

“Marco, why are they always crying?”, she asked as her little hand clutches onto her brother’s batman shirt.  
“It’s okay Marie, you don’t need to worry.” Marco says bending down to be at her eye level, and gives her a reassuring smile. “I think it’s just because we are not going to be living as close to them as we are right now. They are being silly, I am sure they can come visit any time they want.” He patted his sister’s head, Marie nodded and gave him a toothy grin.

This was not what he was expecting, none of the past experiences had ever prepared him for this move. When they were told to pack, their parents brought each of them a luggage and a small backpack. They were told to pack all their clothes into the luggage and to put what they considered their most important necessities (i.e. toys) into the bag. Marco packed his luggage with his clothes and other things such as books and his teddy. He helped his sister pack as his mom checked over his bags. Together they packed all of Marie’s princess dresses, accessories and dolls. Their mom had to intervene and remove a vast amount of things from Marie’s luggage as it was stuff that she considered not essential. Marie was on the verge of tears at being told she would have to leave so many of her princess dresses behind. Marco willingly sneaked some of the dresses and packed into his luggage.

That night at dinner their parents finally explained to them where they were going. Marie began to cry, while Marco was in shock. “So, we are going to a different country? And we won’t be able to see our family for a while?” He asked his dad. His dad nodded while his mom was attempting to calm Marie. “What will it be like over there?” Marco was curious and a bit frightened to be honest. “Marco, son. Don’t worry so much, it won't be much different. I am sure you will get into the hang of things perfectly fine just like you have done before. As for your grandparents, well there is nothing we can do, we can always visit once a year.” His father tried to explain to Marco. Marco wasn’t convinced but went along with it nonetheless.  
At the airport, Marco says goodbye to their grandparents and they all promise to call as often as they could. Marco goes through the gates and boards the plane with tears in his eyes, as the plane takes off he falls fast asleep. By the time he wakes up Marco has arrived in the new country and excitedly looks out the window. So far nothing seemed out of the ordinary, things go smoothly and sooner than he expected Marco arrives at his new home.

Not even a few days later Marco had to go to school. Marie was still too young and she got the privilege of staying home. Once at school Marco attempted to make friends, yet despite his attempts the other children were treating him differently. He wasn’t sure why. He got stares when he asked the teacher questions to satisfy his curiosity. Thus, he began to ask less questions and to blend into the background as the weeks went by. He wasn’t making much progress in the friendship department either, and the other kids were grossed out by what he considered normal lunches. He reluctantly asked his mom to change his lunches to match what the others ate. Marco tried to be like everyone else, but no matter how hard he tried he was still ignored and chosen last in gym class. Marco further buried himself into his books and tried not to worry his family much.

Half way through the year there was a new transfer student, a girl. Everyone seemed to like her and want her to join them in everything. She was the center of attention. Marco had introduced himself to be polite but he knew his place now, so he stayed away from the new girl Jeanne Kirschtein. Jeanne was pretty, sporty, an excellent artist and had lovely dirty blonde hair always in pigtails. Her hair was lighter at the top from being out in the sun all the time. She also had freckles just like him, except hers were more noticeable on her fair skin. Unbeknownst to him, Jeanne seemed to be curious about the quiet and shy boy in her class.  
As the weeks progressed Jeanne’s curiosity continued to increase and tried to make more contact with Marco. When they had to change seats, she volunteered to sit beside him when no one else would. She had noticed Marco didn’t really have friends and that he spent most of the time during recess sitting in the shade with a book. She decided that she was going to his friend no matter what. Jeanne’s intentions were noble, yet it only caused more grief for Marco who kept getting bullied for being different and because Jeanne had taken an interest in him. Marco tried his best to hide from Jeanne during recess so that he wouldn’t get picked on by the other kids any more, but that also backfired on him.

The other kids noticed where Marco went during recess and followed him. “Marco!” One of the kids called out to him. Marco stopped and slowly turned around clutching his book to his chest. “Ye-yes?” he timidly responded, making little to no eye contact with the others. “You have to stop talking to Jeanne, she’s not like you. We don’t want her to catch your cooties. You got that you freak.” Another boy said as he smacked Marco’s book down. Marco bent down to pick it up but another kid got to it first and held it out of his reach. “Please give it back.” Marco begged. The other children looked at each other with a mischievous grin on their faces. “Why don’t you come and take it from us?” The one holding the book said. Marco reached for his book, but tried as he may he was too short to grab his book. As the group of bullies laughed at Marco’s attempts the book was snagged away from their grip by no other than Jeanne.

Jeanne questioned the bullies as to why they thought picking on Marco was fun. They answered because he was weird and different. Marco seemed to shrink onto himself. “What’s wrong with being different?” Jeanne questioned, and when none-of them could answer back they left Jeanne and Marco alone. She returned the book to Marco who happily took the book back with a grateful smile. They spent the rest of recess talking. Jeanne was appalled that people were treating Marco because he didn’t have sandwiches or mac and cheese for lunch and encouraged him to bring what he liked. She told him that they should each bring their favorite lunch and swap. To which Marco readily agreed. She also told him how jealous she was of his tanned skin. Marco blushed and gave her a genuine smile. He told her how fascinating her two-toned hair was. The two of them became fast friends and inseparable. Thanks to Jeanne people began to see Marco as a normal kid. Other kids approached him more and slowly Marco began to have more friends.

Years later Marco turned into a handsome young man, his freckles more prominent on his skin. He was taller than Jeanne now. Jeanne still had the fascinating two toned hair but her freckles had disappeared with time. Jeanne could eat twice as much as Marco and never gain an inch of weight. They were both relatively happy teens in their awkward growing bodies. That was until Marco found Jeanne crying in an empty gym hallway at school. He sat down beside her and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder. Jeanne flinched at the touch. “Hey it's ok, it's just me. What happened Jeanne, you know you can tell me anything.” Marco tried. Jeanne told him it was nothing but wouldn’t look at him. Marco sighed, he knew his friend was stubborn so he sat there until she decided to talk. “I never told you this but Jeanne isn’t my real name.” Jeanne started. That was definitely not what Marco was expecting. “Alright, so what’s your real name?” Marco questioned not seeing how this was related to anything. “Jean. My name was Jean.” Jeanne said with determination. Marco was a bit confused so he asked why Jeanne had changed it. Jeanne didn’t turn to face him but just stared at Marco.

With a sigh, Jeanne ran a hand through her hair as she explained that Jean is a boy’s name. Jeanne could see the gears turning in Marco’s head and when it finally clicked in shock was written all over his face. Jeanne was ready for everything except for what Marco did. Marco wrapped Jeanne in a hug as he whispered “What’s wrong with being different? I like different.” Jeanne smiled as tears ran down her face. She playfully hit Marco on the chest as she called him a jerk and he let go. That’s when Marco notices the black and blue bruise around her left eye. Marco is furious but wont let it show, he tenderly reaches over to brush blonde hair out of her face. A frown appears on his face as he gently touches her face to examine her cheek. She swats his hand away and pulls out the cover up from her bag and begins to hide the blackeye. Marco asked Jeanne why she never said anything and if that is why she was skipping gym classes. Jeanne told him that as long as people didn’t know they treated her the same, but it got harder to hide her difference once puberty hit.

Thus, she avoided gym class but somehow word got out and some classmates started to bully her, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Marco reminded her that she was there for him when he was the weird outsider and that he would always be there for her no matter what. Jeanne smiled back at him finding humor in how their roles had reversed. “Come on, let's go home.” Marco said as he got up extending his hand to Jeanne to pull her up. Marco began skipping the gym along with Jeanne, at first they would sit in a secluded corner to hide from both her bullies and teachers. Later Marco suggested they should sit in more public areas to show others that she is proud of who she is despite what they think. They were caught a few times by the teacher and forced to show up to gym class. When that would happen, Marco would be the last to leave the boys change room. Once it was empty he would let Jeanne change in privacy as he guarded the door, and they would both happily attend the class.  
People tried to discourage Marco from being friends with Jeanne and told him it was going to ruin his reputation. Marco told them that Jeanne may be hot tempered but she had never done anything to them so he saw no reason why people despised her. Some of the students realized that what Marco was saying was true. Jeanne always treated people well, and some of those that had known her since elementary school felt ashamed. A few students slowly began approaching Jeanne in attempts to make amends or to be friends.

In their last year of high school Jeanne unceremoniously asked Marco out on a date, handing him a piece of paper with date, time and place. Then she ran out leaving the poor freckled boy confused and flustered. Jeanne was dreading having to see Marco after what she did, her beating heart only calmed down after seeing the text she got from Marco asking if he should come early and pick her up for their date. Jeanne and Marco were happy, they went to prom together and spent as much of the time they had left before September together. Once summer was over they said their goodbyes, neither sure whether their relationship would survive being so far apart for University. They had both gotten into their first-choice school. Marco was going to study law, and Jeanne wanted to deal with pharmaceuticals.

Jeanne and Marco broke things off after their second year, school was getting too demanding and putting a strain on their relationship. They parted on good terms knowing full well that they still felt the same as they did that day Jeanne handed Marco that note. They lost touch with each other a year after, Marco was way too focused on his schooling, volunteering and starting his career. Marco’s original objective of becoming a lawyer quickly changes when he realized that his goals didn’t match with what was written in the law. So, he decided to pursue politics, making study even harder to help others and make his dreams come true. Not once did he never stopped thinking of Jeanne.

Jeanne on the other hand had dropped out on her last year as it was putting a strain on her health. She had spent that year back home, as she recovered she got visited by Marie and Marco’s parents often. Marie and Jeanne became closer than they ever were. Marco had explained the difference between sex and gender to his family when he found out and they had accepted Jeanne for who she was. Marie had been too young to fully understand then but now she fully understood and stood by Jeanne’s side. Once it was Marie’s turn to head off to University Jeanne decided to go back to school.  
Both girls kept in touch. Marie always attempted to keep both Jeanne and Marco in the loop about each other. Yet they were always too busy to meet. Jeanne had switched careers and now she was a proud business owner of a little café. Marie and everyone else came to visit whenever they could. One rainy night as Jeanne was closing the café and ringing in the last customer a tall man with a hat and a drenched fancy coat entered the café. Jeanne didn’t see his face as she handed the cake to her customer, either way she didn’t mind. The poor fella probably got caught in the rain and this was the first place he found. She would offer him a hot tea and call a cab for him so she could close down. The man took a seat by the window as the customer was excited, Jeanne turned the open sign off from the counter. “Oh, I am sorry I didn’t know you were closing it was raining and-” He quickly apologised but was caught off by Jeanne who told him it was fine. She brought him a paper cup filled with hot water and a box with assortments of tea. “Choose one.” She told him as she handed him the cup and slid the box of tea near him. She sat down as the man thanked her and began removing his fancy coat and hat.

That’s when the light went off. “Well fuck!” Jeanne exclaimed, “I can’t believe this, the storm comes out of nowhere and now this.” The man laughed at her distress, she glared in response, not that he could see. The man pulled out his phone from his pocket and turned on the flashlight app shining it directly onto Jeanne’s face. Jeanne covered her face and muttered some more curses as the man apologized yet again and placed his phone upside down on the table to give them some light. Once she could kind of see again she noticed the man was staring at her. It creeped her out to be honest so she crossed her arms and glared back telling him to drink his tea. However, it had the opposite effect of what she wanted. The man drank his tea in silence and stole quick glances at her face. She didn’t like that, she pretended not to notice the blush on his face and instead she tried to judge how much more tea he had left so she could kick him out.

That’s when she noticed his hands were covered in freckles, which brought happy memories of a boy she used to know. A smile tugged on her face. Her day dreaming was interrupted by light from the phone abruptly disappearing. “Oh my god, no! No, no, no, no. I swear I totally charged it before today's meeting, how did this happen?” Now it was her turn to laugh at the others misfortune. Instead she told him to relax and handed him her phone telling him he could use it to call someone to pick him up. The man clicked the home button and saw a picture of two well dressed teens. A freckled young man and a younger version of the woman, who’s phone he was holding. He smiled and gave her back her phone. She was taken back a bit as this was rather odd behaviour. “Don’t you need to get someone, you know to pick you up? I am closing soon so unless you wanna be stuck out there, I suggest you call.” She slid her phone back at him. She heard the man giggle sending shivers down her back. “You haven’t changed a bit since the last time I saw you Jeanne.” He said with a smile. Jeanne asked the stranger how he knew her name as she hadn’t introduced herself.

“It's hard to forget the only person I ever loved.” The man said, they were silent for a while and when Jeanne was about to respond the lights turned back on. They both closed their eyes at the sudden intrusion of the light. Jeanne recovered first to see a slightly paler version of the freckled man she once knew as Marco. Jeanne just stared with her mouth ajar. “You’ll catch flies like that.” Marco said with that mischievous smile that Jeanne loved. She threw the now empty paper cup at his face telling him to fuck off. Jeanne stood up and closed the café door and walked back to the counter. Marco couldn’t tell if she was mad at him or just annoyed. So he followed her back to the counter and he watched as she finished closing in silence. “I hope no one is expecting you,” Jeanne stated, Marco shook his head in responds, she sighed “you might as well get your fancy wet coat, and hat. And your useless cell phone and follow me.”

Marco did as he was told, Jeanne turned off the lights and led the way through the kitchen and up a flight of stairs. There Jeanne opened the door and told him to hang his coat on the rack and to take a seat on the couch. She came back with two instant ramen filled with hot water and sat on the smaller couch across from him. Marco stared at what he assumed was their dinner and then at Jeanne. “What!? I wasn’t expecting guests tonight.” She exclaimed as she threw Marco some chopsticks. Marco thanked her for the meal and removed his suit before he began to eat. “I thought you had gone into pharmaceuticals?” Marco asked as they ate. Jeanne told him what had happened and how she ended up where she was. Marco listened and told her he was happy she had found something that she loved and didn’t put her health at risk. “What about you, are you part of some big firm now?” Jeanne countered.

Marco shook his head with a sigh. She was about to apologize for asking but instead he told her how his original goals and how his beliefs didn’t match with what the laws stated. He just couldn’t stand by that and let others suffer. Jeanne expressed how sorry she was that he didn’t get his dream job. “Hey, don’t be so sad Jeanne,” Marco smirked back, “I am still doing something that I am passionate about and actually making a difference. However, I don’t know if I will ever achieve my true goal.” Marco expressed. Jeanne asked how he was making a difference and how it wasn’t going to get him what he wanted. Marco told her that as he studied the laws he came across a lot of inequality, especially for those who were part of the LGBTQA community. Jeanne knew that all too well and nodded in agreement. Marco told him that as a lawyer he couldn’t alter the law so he switched to politics. A topic Jeanne had never found interest in and preferred to ignore even to this day. Marco told her how his knowledge of law and equity made him rather unpopular at times, but it had gained him favor with the people. He slowly gained popularity even in his own party and was being moved up the ranks to become one of the leading members of the party.

Jeanne congratulated him, and told him she was proud of him for putting all that effort for those who can’t fight for themselves. “So, what was your original goal that caused you to go into this whole thing if I may ask” Jeanne was still too curious to let it go. Marco looked a bit sad even if his cheek were turning rosy. “I wanted to make sure I could marry the love of my life, that is if she still wants me.” Jeanne was confused, why would anybody say no to Marco, dismissing his comment from downstairs as a joke now. She told him he should go find her and flat out tell her how he feels, that this woman would be a dumb ass to let him go like that. Marco hid a wide grin behind his hand. Jeanne’s heart was breaking but she knew that Marco deserved to be happy above all else. What hurt the most was that he had chosen to go into law before they even started dating, so had he truly never felt the same way about her? All the negativity and confusing thoughts were stopped when Marco asked her a question. “Come again I didn’t catch that?” Jeanne said ashamed that she had let her thoughts run wild. “I was asking if you were seeing any one?” Marco tried again.

“No, of course not, why do you ask.” Jeanne said with a frown and a mix of contempt on her face. Marco let out a nervous laugh, leaving Jeanne even more confused. He got up his spot and kneeled beside her, Jeanne cocked her brow at his weird behaviour. “Jeanne, you have always been a huge impact on my life and the one to give me a kick in the right direction, even if at times it was literally.” Marco reminisced and Jeanne smirked. “And I guess what I wanna say is your right, I need to tell the one I love how important she is to me. Even if our union is not legal as of now, I hope that one day, when the new bill gets passed we will be one of the first ones to get married.” Jeanne had no idea why Marco was rubbing salt in the wound like that, he had seen her phone’s background, he knew how she felt. “So, if your feelings are still the same as they were those many years ago, will you date me again and stand at that altar w-” Marco was cut off by Jeanne crashing their mouths together in an passionately awkward kiss, knocking him off balance and making them crash onto the floor. “I take that as a yes” Marco laughed. Jeanne kissed him again, less forceful this time, “A definite yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> AKA this was an assignment for a course I took a while back that was based on the GRACES (Gender, Race, Age, Culture, Economic status, Sexuality) and well I got a little carried away. So I cut it down to the right number of words for school and had the OG save in my google doc. I was looking for a doc and I found this bad boy and figured why not post it.


End file.
